About Us
Check out what Influencers say about ShEquity
“ShEquity is a catalyst for unlocking African female entrepreneurs’ potential which will lead to African inclusive growth. ShEquity’s formula of combining seed capital, professional venture building support, and access to a high-value network is exactly what is needed in non-mature ecosystems. It is clear that by investing in African women entrepreneurs, ShEquity will accelerate the achievement of the SDGs and have an exponential trickle-down impact across African communities. I congratulate ShEquity’s Founder and look forward to seeing the growth of more African-female led businesses”
H.E Ameenah Gurib Fakim, Former President of Mauritius
ShEquity Investment Summary
Below is summary of ShEquity investment
Why Invest With ShEquity
ShEquity is the ideal investment option for anyone looking to achieving triple bottom line: financial, environmental and social returns.
Meet the Team & Advisory Board
We are proud to work with a network of reputable partners active in impact investment, female economic empowerment and sustainable development.
Pauline Koelbl
Founder & Managing Director
Ténemba Anna Samaké
Chief Finance Officer
Vuyolwethu Dubese
M.E.A.L. Lead
Lambert Nyabe
Analyst
Rodrigue Anani
SHEBA Coordinator
Chief K.Masimba Biriwasha
Storyteller & Social Media Manager
Rowena Bethel
Advisory Board Member
Dr. McLean Sibanda
Advisory Board Member
Edith Uyovbukerhi
Advisory Board Member
Eliane Ubalijoro
Advisory Board Member
Thomas Festerling
Advisory Board Member
Co-Founder
Afua Amoah
Advisory Board Member
Minayo Sagala
Advisory Board Member
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WHY
ShEquity’s purpose is to provide smart and sustainable investments for African female entrepreneurs and innovators, the key driver of inclusive socio-economic growth. We facilitate access to a pool of de-risked deals to investors and empower female entrepreneurs with financial resources and operational support needed to unlock their full potential.
We address the following key challenges:
1. Access to seed capital: While Africa boasts an increasing number of female entrepreneurs, the funding gap remains a barrier to achieving full potential. Currently, women operate over 40% of SMEs in Africa, but there is a financing gap of US$ 42 billion between male and female entrepreneurs.
2. Operational support: African female entrepreneurs struggle to access a structured venture building support and high value networks needed to de-risk their businesses.
3. Access to a pool of de-risked deals: Many investors interested in African markets struggle to have access to a pool of profitable, scalable and impactful deals.
WHAT
We combine seed capital with structured operational support, and we facilitate access to high-value networks. In the context of weak ecosystems, smart money (cash and operational support) is what is needed to cross the valley of Death and embark on a growth path.
We focus on scalable, marketable and sustainable female-led startups with a high socio-economic and environmental impact guarantee, and we empower them with resources and operational support needed to unlock their potential.
HOW
We aim for the triple bottom line: financial, social, and environmental returns, with direct impact correlating to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We apply a value-chain approach and build strategic partnerships for sourcing deals as well as securing a second round of investments.
Our network of champions and partners boast African female influencers with vast pan-African experience. They are closely linked to networks of female innovators and entrepreneurs, representing various sectors covering many African countries. These networks serve as our pipeline to source qualified female entrepreneurs.
Pauline Koelbl
Founder & Managing Director
Founder and CEO of AfriProspect GmbH and ShEquity, Pauline is an Innovation Expert in Developing & Emerging Economies, impact investor, and seasoned impact-driven Team Leader with over 20 years’ experience in international affairs and philanthropy industries. Pauline is a leading expert and influencer on the transformation of developing countries to emerging economies by designing programs & policies fostering inclusive innovations. Her passion lies in innovation, entrepreneurship, and empowerment of youth and women.
During the last 8+ years, Pauline’s work focused on catalyzing marketable, scalable, and impactful home-grown innovations for African-led growth across the African continent, building strategic partnerships and innovation ecosystems that will invigorate economic growth across Africa. Her work at the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) as the Managing Director and Director, Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) led to the impact of more than US$ 135 Million generated investments for supported African innovators. Prior to that, she worked for a number of UN bodies and NGOs in Africa, Europe, and the USA including WHO in Geneva, UNESCO in Paris, UNICEF in Goma, Enda Tiers Monde in Dakar, Jewish Family and Children’s Services in Arizona, etc.
Pauline is a Fulbright Scholar & Fellow and is currently serving on different Boards of companies/organizations connected to business/entrepreneurship/innovation in Africa and is the co-founder of Professional Women of African Heritage (PROWAH). She is also a member of ABM University Council (Botswana) and serves on the Academic, Research and Innovation Committee.
Tenemba Anna Samake
Chief Finance Officer
With 20+ years of West African experience in business development and SME financing, Tenemba is the Executive Director of an Agribusiness Advisory firm, MBC Africa, a one-stop boutique that provides an enabling environment for businesses in Africa.
High-energy, results-oriented leader with an entrepreneurial attitude, Tenemba has a solid experience managing all levels of complex and multiple stakeholders’ projects including design and administration. In addition, she has a solid experience in designing and implementing technical assistance in SMEs (capacity building, coaching, and mentoring entrepreneurs).
Tenemba has led the acceleration of more than 130 businesses in West Africa and trained more than 100 Young African Professionals in Agribusiness Advisory. She is the Chairperson ANDE West Africa Steering Committee. The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) is a global network of organizations that propel entrepreneurship in emerging markets, and she is the Founding Member of Impact Investing Ghana.
Vuyolwethu Dubese
M.E.A.L. Lead
Vuyolwethu Dubese is a leading innovation and impact professional and executive, with over 7 years of experience in business innovation and strategy, impact development and communications in growth markets across a number of sectors including financial services, technology and agriculture.
She currently serves as Founder of InnovTel, an impact design studio driven by designing impact and facilitating shared value through Marketing and MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning). To date, the organisation has worked with organisations like ShEquity (gender-lens fund) HQ in Mauritius, MBC Africa (DBS in West Africa) and Bright Insights Global (innovation firm focused on DEI) HQ in New York. She also serves as a global moderator that has engaged multiple high-level discussions among presidents, C-Suite executives and global influencers. Prior to this, she was an Associate in Impact Acceleration at Impact Amplifier and Startup Partnerships Lead for Africa at Thomson Reuters Labs.
She is a firm believer about the creation and execution of a new renaissance of impact-driven business and equitable economic empowerment across four broad interests: Impact and Innovation Design, Gender Parity, Entrepreneurship and Career & Development. This, she operates intersectionally, as an Innovation and MEAL Consultant, Global Moderator and (Angel) Investor.
Vuyolwethu is an advisor, a pioneer and a change agent driven by the role that she plays in inclusion as a catalyst to unlock innovation, investment and impact.
LAMBERT NYABE
Analyst
Lambert is a detailed and results-oriented individual with more than 8 years hands-on experience in accounting, financial management, auditing, budgeting and payroll administration. He has more than 5 years’ experience in financial analysis, financial modeling and financial risk management. Over the past 4 years, Lambert has been involved in a series of business development activities helping startups and growth stage businesses to scale up.
He co-authored “Funding Options for Startups and SMEs”. The book provides entrepreneurs and businessmen better understanding of available funding options at the various growth stages, turning bright ideas into a successful business and provides content of a bankable business plan and pitch deck.
Professionalism, positivity and integrity are Lambert’s core values. Lambert has a passion for preparing financial report according to the accounting standards, analysing trends in financial statements, developing financial modeling and has key interest in financial risk management.
Lambert is a good abstract and conceptual thinker. He has a great deal of intellectual curiosity; he likes to understand the real causes of problems and issues. He is hard working, enjoys specializing and is good at locating and correcting mistakes and solving problems.
Rodrigue Anani
SHEBA Coordinator
Rodrigue Anani has 5+ years of experience in Information Technology. He is open-minded, pragmatic, and has a keen interest in building solutions that can promote sustainable development. He is also a member of the Global Leadership Academy (GLAC) Africa Community.
Rodrigue has working experience both in West Africa and North Africa countries and enjoys working in multidisciplinary teams and challenging environments. He believes that with good and clear communication, all the barriers can be broken in almost all the growing sectors. A passionate about the various cultures from around the world, Rodrigue enjoys discovering and inputting in researches, data management, reading Agatha Christie, and science-fiction novels.
Prince Sarfo
Storyteller & Social Media Manager
Based in Harare, Zimbabwe, Chief K.Masimba Biriwasha is a digital communications specialist who loves to bring ideas to life with love, care and passion. He also loves goats and runs a startup Goat Orders Co. | www.goatotders.co.zw that seeks to boost goat production and value addition while building the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
Masimba has 19 years of experience in implementing and managing different projects and has the ability to articulate and communicate complex issues to a variety of audiences across technical disciplines and to non-technical audiences. He possesses a journalist’s acute and enquiring mind-set and have extensive experience of translating complex topics into powerful stories, messages and visuals.
For Masimba, work is a promise and a passion: it’s about pursuing change and challenging the status quo.”
Prince Sarfo
Storyteller & Social Media Manager
Lambert is a detailed and results-oriented individual with more than 8 years hands-on experience in accounting, financial management, auditing, budgeting and payroll administration. He has more than 5 years’ experience in financial analysis, financial modeling and financial risk management. Over the past 4 years, Lambert has been involved in a series of business development activities helping startups and growth stage businesses to scale up.
He co-authored “Funding Options for Startups and SMEs”. The book provides entrepreneurs and businessmen better understanding of available funding options at the various growth stages, turning bright ideas into a successful business and provides content of a bankable business plan and pitch deck.
Professionalism, positivity and integrity are Lambert’s core values. Lambert has a passion for preparing financial report according to the accounting standards, analysing trends in financial statements, developing financial modeling and has key interest in financial risk management.
Lambert is a good abstract and conceptual thinker. He has a great deal of intellectual curiosity; he likes to understand the real causes of problems and issues. He is hard working, enjoys specializing and is good at locating and correcting mistakes and solving problems.
Yvonne Bettkober
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Minayo describes herself as a consummate organiser. She thrives in facilitating clarity and promoting excellence. Minayo believes in the power of knowledge to spark, reignite and sustain hope – so she shares what she can.
Minayo has two decades of practical experience providing primary legal support for private capital investments in both East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and South Sudan) and West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast). This has included deal structuring, deal negotiation and deal management for equity, debt and convertible debt investment instruments; post-investment support for investee companies; regional risk and compliance oversight; as well as regional operational and governance advice.
Minayo is an MSc in Education for Sustainability from the London South Bank University and an LLB from the University of Nairobi.
Dr. McLean Sibanda
Managing Director at Bigen Global Limited, South Africa
McLean is an experienced innovation enabler with a demonstrated history of working in investment management, science and technology, innovation, incubation, startup industries, and infrastructure development in Africa. He is a strong entrepreneurship professional skilled in Negotiation, Business Planning, Analytical Skills, Innovation Management, and Patent at Law. He has an in-depth understanding of and experience in innovation, development, and infrastructure development as drivers for a prosperous Africa.
Eliane Ubalijoro
Deputy Executive Director (Programmes), GODAN
Eliane is the Deputy Executive Director for Programs at Global Open Data in Agriculture (GODAN). She is a professor of practice for public and private sector partnerships at McGill University’s Institute for the Study of International Development, where her research interests focus on innovation, gender and sustainable development for prosperity creation and her teaching over the last decade has focused on facilitating leadership development. She is the founder and executive director of C.L.E.A.R. International Development Inc., a consulting group harnessing global networks for sustainable systems development.
Eliane is a member of Rwanda’s National Science and Technology Council, and she has been a member of the Presidential Advisory Council for Rwandan President Paul Kagame since its inception in September 2007. She also services on numerous Boards of international organizations including Global Crop Trust Executive Board; Next Einstein Foundation and Kifra Prize Board, Board of Trustees of WWF International, the International Digital Monetary Council member, etc.
Afua Umoah
Founder & Managing Partner at Delwik Group
Afua brings 19+ years of financial experience across different sectors and regions. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Delwik Group. Her primary role focuses on advising companies and on projects development in Africa. She also serves as the CFO of a fintech based in Luxembourg and Francophone West Africa.
Afua has worked with international firms such as African Capital Alliance (ACA), Barclays Africa, Deutsche Bank, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and Simon Murray China Fund in Shanghai. She holds an MBA and a dual degree in Mathematics and Engineering.
Edith Uyovbukerhi
CEO, Sun Ridge Company Limited, Ghana
Edith is a strong, results-oriented, dynamic and proven leader with wide experience spanning over 26 years in blue-chip companies in the United Kingdom, holding senior leadership positions in companies which include PwC, Cadbury, Nestle, and Diageo. She has a strong business, financial and commercial skills with a special focus in all aspects of accounting, finance, business management, strategic planning, project management, and business systems implementation.
An active women’s leadership and innovation champion with a passion for next-generation leadership, Edith is on a mission to support millennial ladies who seek to use their passion for life to transform their lives and the lives of all around them.
Rowena Bethel
Compliance/Risk Management/AML Expert
Experienced corporate and public governance specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the international affairs industry as well as in financial sector regulatory environments. Strong business development experience with common law expertise and with fund management companies in Mauritius.
Thomas Festerling
GreenTec CFO and Co-Founder
Thomas brought his extensive financial and investment background to the development of GreenTec’s investment approach. A specialist for financing, investor relations and business planning with 10+ Years experience in the Asset Management industry, 4+ Years African investment ecosystem sourcing investment deals and setting up investment vehicles focusing on African startups and SMEs.
Impact
ShEquity is a catalyst for inclusive economic growth with the impact felt across the board. Because women tend to tackle challenges faced by societies, providing smart money to female entrepreneurs allows them to build impactful businesses benefiting many communities and inspire the next generations to become problem solvers.
Our approach of combining seed capital and operational support allows us to minimize failure risks which allow more female-led businesses to grow, create more jobs, embark on scaling path, and contribute to sustainable development.
Because we focus on female-led businesses and aim for the triple bottom line, our activities have a direct impact correlating to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. Here are the SDGs we contribute to: ….and follow this link to access our 1 year impact report http://bit.ly/shequity2021
Inclusiveness & Human development
Gender Equality: Empowering female entrepreneurs by providing seed capital leads to growing more female-led businesses, with impact trickling down to the household level. Economically empowered women mean better opportunities for the whole family, especially the girl child.
Reduce inequality: Investing in female-led startups/businesses sparks economic inclusion since it provides a pipeline for accessing needed capital to equally compete and seize existing opportunities.
Economic Empowerment
No poverty: Female entrepreneurs tend to focus on businesses which impact societies. ShEquity provides investment to women who eventually will create jobs and opportunities for communities and family well-being.
Decent work and economic growth: ShEquity investments leads to growing women-led businesses, which in turn will trigger jobs creation and contribute to inclusive economic growth.
Environmental Sustainability
Sustainable cities and communities: Investing in startups with environmentally-friendly innovations/technologies particularly in agriculture, energy, mobility, waste recycling and other circular economies solutions, reduces carbon emissions and is a key factor in building sustainable cities.
Responsible consumption and production: Investing in local production/businesses shortens supply chains, and reduces carbon emissions for shipping and transportation.
Partners
We are proud to work with a network of reputable partners active in impact investment, female economic empowerment and sustainable development.
News
Kweza unlocking value for informal retailers in South Africa
Running a small business can be challenging especially so in the informal sector where segments of a single value chain are fragmented. Informal retailers often pay a premium for their products and delivery due to limited visibility to the best…. read more
African female entrepreneurs tackling climate change challenges and much more
One of the lesser discussed characteristics of climate change is its unintended but innate gender bias. Women are more affected by climate change than men… read more
ShEquity étend son portefeuille à l’Afrique de l’Ouest francophone avec un investissement au sein de l’entreprise Céréales de Laury (CDL)
Entreprise agroalimentaire, CDL se concentre sur la transformation du fonio, ancien super-aliment africain, en une gamme de produits à base de fonio. read more
ShEquity expands its portfolio to Francophone West Africa with investment in Céréales de Laury (CDL).
ShEquity today announced its investment in Beninese startup, Céréales de Laury (CDL).
read more
ShEquity launches SHEBA – ShEquity Business Accelerator
ShEquity and MBC Africa announced today the launch of the ShEquity Business Accelerator (SHEBA).
ShEquity launches SHEBA -ShEquity Business Accelerator
Accra, Ghana, 23 March 2021 – ShEquity and MBC Africa announced today the launch of the ShEquity Business Accelerator (SHEBA).
read more
ShEquity invests in Ecodudu waste recovery start-up
The Kenyan start-up Ecodudu is again receiving financial support. It comes from ShEquity, an investment company that promotes female entrepreneurship in Africa.
read more
Zambian startup WidEnergy raises new funding to scale its impact
WidEnergy, the name of which is an acronym for “Women in Development,” reflecting the startup’s goal of engaging women as active participants in Africa’s…
read more
African AI startup Superfluid Labs receives investment from ShEquity
GreenTec Capital announces that Superfluid Labs was selected as the first investment for the newly launched ShEquity investment vehicle…
read more
Can African tech disrupt 2020’s gloomy investment outlook?
It appears that the momentum in Africa’s tech sector in 2019 has continued unabated into 2020.
African Economy: How to Drive Sustainable Growth in the New Normal
After years of steady economic development and the emergence of an exciting, dynamic, and transformative innovation ecosystem across the continent, … read more
Investment for women-led businesses is missing ingredient African entrepreneurship
Women make up 58% of African’s self-employed population, yet there are still significant imbalances between…
Social Enterprise Ghana, British Council launch Women Business Accelerator
The British Council Ghana and Social Enterprise Ghana have partnered to launch the Social Enterprise Women Business Accelerator.
Meet the Investor: Pauline Koelbl, ShEquity
Born in Rwanda, a citizen of Switzerland and the United States, Pauline Koelbl’s background is in international development and catalysing innovation, and she is applying those skills in the field of female-focused venture capital. read more
African Women In Technology Presents: The Digital Society Conference
CODID-19 has unleashed a new wave of African creativity and ingenuity. Africans are also stepping up their game in providing solutions that are proving to be most useful during the pandemic, such as money transfer and health apps. With the jump on digital space, this conference will focus on opportunities that young women and girls could utilize pre and post covid.
Contact Us
Office
ShEquity
Office 22, Ebene Junction Bldg,
Rue de la Democratie
Ebene, Mauritius